On 16 May 2014, at 03:02, Russell Standish wrote:
On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 12:10:20PM +1200, LizR wrote:
I don't think we replace our brain cells, but even if we do, isn't
the fact
that they are replaced and the replacements are functionally similar
important to who we are?
We do, apparently.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2012/feb/23/brain-new-cells-adult-neurogenesis
(I know I could do with some new ones ... or do I mean "neurones" ?)
I think that is more about brain repair, than material replacement in
cells, and only involves a few percent of neurons.
It turns out the carbon atoms in the DNA of neural cells is remarkable
long lived, as chronicled via the radiation spike due to atmospheric
nuclear weapons testing in 50s & 60s. I don't have a cite on hand,
but the result is that your neuronal DNA is on average about two years
younger than your own age. For most other cell types, the average age
is around 7 years, or something like that.
That looks like the age of the cell, but all piece of DNA are changed
many times, so the age of a DNA does not seem to me to be necessarily
the age of the atoms making the structure. brain is the place where
the metabolic activity is the highest, so I am not sure our neurons
are so stable at the constitutive level.
The conclusion is that the body does not materially recycle neurons,
I am not convinced. Our neurons live long, but that does not mean they
are not continually rebuild.
Bruno
as presumably to do so loses important learnt information. The other
interesting conclusion is that our brains are dramatically rewired
when we're about 2. We're not the same people as when we're infants.
Cheers
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Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile)
Principal, High Performance Coders
Visiting Professor of Mathematics [email protected]
University of New South Wales http://www.hpcoders.com.au
Latest project: The Amoeba's Secret
(http://www.hpcoders.com.au/AmoebasSecret.html)
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